Now I've become a grumpy old ref! (vent)

[ranjo]

My high school season in now over and by my standards was the most fun and learning season yet. The next step for the past years for me and many of you is to work the "wreck" leagues until camps and higher level AAU games are available.

First games last weekend were great with 10-15 year old kids having a good time and coaches coaching the best they could. Last night was 16-18 year old boys with one girl on each team.

Play #1 - A1 drives to the basket to the left side of the paint and beats B1 to the spot. As he attempts to put up a shot, B1 standing behind him, reaches around and grabs his arm with her left hand while her right arm is over his shoulder. I call an intentional foul.

Coach wants to know why the foul is ruled intentional as in his opinion B1 is going for the ball. I explain B1 had no way of playing the ball because the player was in front of her, and she took away an obvious advantage. Coach says he has never seen any other referee call it that way and continues to argue. I lose my professionalism for a moment and tell him to just coach and stay away from what he obviously doesn't know anything about.

Play #2 - With less than a minute left in the game there is a loose ball foul that occures when two kids are going for a rebound and the player in back trips and falls taking the player in front of him down. My partner and I both whistle the foul and are standing on both sides of the players as they untangle. Player that was knocked down has blood dripping from his arm and as I am walking him to his bench, I hear the before mentioned coach telling my partner he has to call something on the injured kid because he took a swing at his kid while on the floor. Partner says " Coach he didn't take a swing at anybody". Coach becomes livid and starts mouthing off to the opposing coach who hasn't said a word to anybody at this point. This causes the opposing coach to say a few things back to the first coach. I lose it again and tell both of them to sit down and I don't want to hear another word from either of them.

The game finishes without anything else happening. The kids have been great!. However while the handshake is going on the coaches get into it again. I tell them to both clear the floor and swear I am going to give up recreational ball altogether.

I have to this point considered these types of games to be good for me to work for purposes of excercise, seeing odd plays, staying around the kids, and game management. But at this point I miss the structure of organized high school games and (in my area) somewhat knowledgeable coaches.

I know some of you won't do this type of ball, while others do it entirely. I have lost my patience and as I described above, my professionalism. I am committed to 3 more nights of these games and must decide by then if I will accept any more this season.

I have truly become a GOF (grumpy old ref). Thanks for the space to vent!